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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rest — a break
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. row — a line
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. press — to push
  10. fine — high quality
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. object — an aim
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cell — in biology
  16. hand — help
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fine — all right
  20. cell — a phone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com